ICC’s Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services (ITIS) and ICC’s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) have a strong interest in the growth and stability of the international Internet infrastructure, and has long been convinced that this interest is best served when Internet backbone interconnection agreements are not regulated.

In the more than fifteen years since the commercialization of the Internet backbone, unprecedented innovation and investment has resulted in a huge increase in global Internet availability and usage. During this period, a wide variety of commercially negotiated Internet backbone interconnection arrangements connecting national and international Internet backbone providers, content providers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have fuelled and sustained the massive growth of the Internet into a global network of interconnected networks.

These Internet backbone interconnection arrangements have evolved dynamically in response to increases in global demand and the shift towards content requiring higher bandwidth, without being subject to burdensome economic or social regulation. Despite the huge success of this commercial model, there have been various proposals to regulate the terms of international Internet backbone interconnection agreements, based on claims that regulation may promote further investment.

To contribute to the policy-making discussions that continue on this subject, and to foster the on-going investments required to further expand the Internet, the ITIS Task Force seeks to promote a better understanding of Internet backbone interconnection agreements, and of the related policies that promote growth of robust Internet infrastructure and services in different regions.